Cleaning systems for dry dust-type cleaning of hard surfaces, especially floor surfaces, are well known in the art. An example of such a cleaning system is Swiffer™, sold by the Procter & Gamble Company. This cleaning system has an implement which comprises a handle connected to a mop head via a universal joint, and is to be used together with a disposable cleaning sheet which needs to be attached to the mop head.
These type of cleaning systems were specifically designed for convenient and easy cleaning of hard surfaces, especially dry dust-type cleaning of hard floor surfaces, and to replace the vacuum cleaner, brush and dustpan. However, these type of cleaning systems still suffer from a number of problems.
One problem of these cleaning systems is that the cleaning sheet gets quickly saturated at the leading edge. Another problem of these cleaning systems is that they are not effective at picking up larger soil particles. As a result, these particles together with dust and other dry soil are piling up in front of the mop head's leading edge. Both the saturated sheet area at the leading edge, and the dust pile prevent more dust, dry soil or larger soil particles to be picked up by the cleaning sheet, leaving a relatively large area of the sheet unused. As such, the cleaning sheet can not be used to its full extent. Another problem of these cleaning systems is that, because of their great maneuverability, dust and dry soil and soil particles escape along the sides of the mop head during the cleaning operation, especially when the mop head is turned from one direction to another. As a result, a dust pile and large particles remain on the floor after the cleaning operation, requiring additional cleaning steps or cleaning tools such as a vacuum cleaner, or a brush and dustpan, to provide complete dust and soil removal.
Thus, there still remains an unmet consumer need, that is, a cleaning system which is convenient and easy to use, which is capable of providing complete dust and dry soil removal, without the need for additional cleaning steps or cleaning tools, and which makes full use of the cleaning capabilities of the cleaning sheet.
Some attempts have already been made to address some of these problems.
U.S. patent application 2004/0025271, assigned to 3M Innovative Properties Company describes a cleaning device with a cleaning portion comprising a flexible member which is attached to a rigid plastic holding plate. The cleaning portion has a cleaning cloth surface for the pick-up of fine dust, and an adhesive surface for the pick-up of larger particles, both of which can individually come in contact with the surface to be cleaned. The cleaning portion is attached to a handle via a pivot, and the cleaning device has a stopper for restricting the movement of the handle. The adhesive surface does not contact the surface to be cleaned until the handle is tilted beyond a predetermined angle. One problem of this cleaning device is that larger particles could be trapped by the adhesive surface in the region where the adhesive surface and cleaning cloth surface contact each other. As a result, a dust pile is building up, thereby restricting the further pick up of fine dust by the cleaning cloth surface. Also, when moving the cleaning portion in side directions, dust and soil may escape along the sides of the cleaning portion. And tilting the handle for bringing the adhesive surface in contact with the surface to be cleaned, is inconvenient for the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,465,377, assigned to Kimberly-Clark Corporation, describes a cleaning mop having a mop head provided with a cushion means. The cushion means include spaced rows of resiliently deformable material, each row having a multiplicity of depending projections. The depending projections of alternate rows lie intermediate the projections of adjacent rows to serve as stops and provide closed paths to dust, preventing dust passage through the mop width. The projections have a small width in relation to the length of the mop head, and as a result, larger particles may block the projections, thereby restricting further pick-up of dust and particles. The stoppers prevent fine dust from moving towards the center and the back of the mop head, thereby leaving a large area of the cleaning sheet less used, or even unused.
The present invention is directed to overcoming these problems and shortcomings of the prior art.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a cleaning implement, and a cleaning system, which is convenient in use, and has an improved cleaning performance.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a cleaning implement, and a cleaning system, which is capable of providing complete dust and dry soil removal, without the need for additional cleaning steps or cleaning tools.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a cleaning implement, and a cleaning system, which is capable of picking up fine dust as well as larger dry soil particles.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a cleaning implement, and a cleaning system, which is capable of collecting and retaining a dust pile during the cleaning operation, without preventing further pick-up of fine dust by a cleaning sheet.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a cleaning implement, and a cleaning system, which is capable of making improved use of the cleaning sheet.